Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden is not simply an older perfume that happens to remain available. It is part of the foundation of the Elizabeth Arden fragrance story. Introduced in 1934, Blue Grass was the brand's first perfume and was inspired by the open fields associated with Elizabeth Arden's Thoroughbred horses. Nearly a century later, it remains a fascinating example of how floral fragrance was constructed before fruity gourmands, transparent musks, and modern sweet perfumes became dominant.
The composition brings together sparkling aldehydes, lavender, geranium, orange blossom, rose, jasmine, carnation, tuberose, narcissus, clove, woods, musk, vetiver, benzoin, and tonka bean. The result is floral, aromatic, powdery, green, softly spicy, and unmistakably classic. Blue Grass does not try to smell contemporary. Its appeal comes from its character, heritage, and the way it combines feminine flowers with aromatic lavender and a warm woody base.
What does Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden smell like?
Blue Grass smells floral, green, aromatic, powdery, fresh, spicy, and softly woody.
The opening is immediately distinctive. Aldehydes create a bright, almost sparkling effect while lavender and geranium introduce an aromatic herbal quality. Bergamot, neroli, and orange blossom add citrus and floral freshness, while lily contributes another layer of clean femininity.
As Blue Grass develops, the bouquet becomes fuller. Jasmine, rose, carnation, tuberose, and narcissus give the fragrance a traditional floral richness. Clove and bay leaf introduce subtle spice, while lavender continues to give the composition a slightly herbal edge.
The dry down becomes warmer and smoother through sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin, cedar, musk, and tonka bean. Sandalwood adds creaminess, benzoin provides gentle resinous warmth, vetiver contributes an earthy green quality, and tonka bean gives the base a soft sweetness.
Blue Grass ultimately smells like a vintage floral bouquet carried into the countryside. Flowers dominate, but lavender, spices, greenery, woods, and soft powder keep the fragrance from becoming a simple rose or white floral perfume.
What are the top, heart, and base notes in Blue Grass?
Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden was introduced in 1934.
Top Notes: Aldehydes, lavender, geranium, lily, bergamot, orange blossom, neroli
Heart Notes: Jasmine, rose, carnation, tuberose, narcissus, clove, bay leaf, lavender, spicy accords
Base Notes: Sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin, cedar, musk, tonka bean
Elizabeth Arden's current official description presents a somewhat simplified version of the composition, emphasizing rose, jasmine, lily, lavender, geranium, orange blossom, vetiver, clove, laurel, sandalwood, Virginia cedar, and musk.
Historical fragrance references describe the larger note structure listed above. Both descriptions point to the same central character: a floral fragrance shaped by lavender, aromatic spice, fresh greenery, woods, and musk.
Is Blue Grass for men, women, or unisex?
Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden is marketed as a fragrance for women.
Rose, jasmine, lily, tuberose, carnation, narcissus, orange blossom, and other florals give it a traditionally feminine foundation.
However, Blue Grass contains an unusually aromatic structure for a classic women's perfume. Lavender, geranium, vetiver, bay leaf, clove, cedar, and tonka bean introduce elements that can also be found in traditional masculine perfumery.
Because of this, Blue Grass may feel more gender neutral to modern noses than its original marketing would suggest.
It remains officially a women's fragrance, but anyone who enjoys aromatic floral perfumes can wear it.
How long does Blue Grass last?
Blue Grass typically lasts approximately 4 to 6 hours on the skin, according to Elizabeth Arden's current guidance.
Individual performance can vary depending on skin chemistry, temperature, humidity, application, and the amount sprayed.
The aldehydes and citrus notes are most noticeable near the beginning. Lavender, rose, jasmine, carnation, tuberose, woods, musk, vetiver, benzoin, and tonka bean become more important as the fragrance develops.
Some wearers may notice the woody, powdery, and musky dry down for longer than six hours, particularly on clothing.
Blue Grass offers moderate longevity rather than extreme performance.
How strong is Blue Grass's projection?
Blue Grass has moderate projection, particularly during the first few hours.
The combination of aldehydes, lavender, geranium, orange blossom, jasmine, rose, carnation, tuberose, and narcissus creates a noticeable floral presence soon after application.
As the fragrance develops, projection generally becomes softer and the sandalwood, musk, benzoin, vetiver, cedar, and tonka bean settle closer to the skin.
Because aldehydic and aromatic floral fragrances can smell stronger to people who are sensitive to traditional perfume styles, Blue Grass should still be applied thoughtfully in close environments.
It creates presence without needing heavy application.
What fragrance family is Blue Grass?
Blue Grass belongs to the floral green fragrance family with aromatic, aldehydic, spicy, woody, and powdery characteristics.
The floral side comes from rose, jasmine, lily, carnation, tuberose, narcissus, orange blossom, and neroli.
Lavender and geranium give it an aromatic quality, while bergamot and aldehydes create brightness.
Clove and bay leaf bring spice.
Sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, benzoin, musk, and tonka bean provide warmth and structure.
The easiest way to understand Blue Grass is as a classic floral green perfume with aromatic lavender, soft spice, powder, and woods.
What seasons is Blue Grass best for?
Blue Grass performs especially well during spring and fall.
Spring complements the fragrance's green floral character, particularly rose, jasmine, lily, orange blossom, narcissus, lavender, and geranium.
Fall allows clove, woods, benzoin, vetiver, musk, and tonka bean to become more prominent without making the fragrance feel too heavy.
Blue Grass can also work during mild summer weather, particularly during the daytime. In extreme heat, fewer sprays may be preferable because aldehydes and florals can become more pronounced.
It is wearable during winter as well, although people who prefer rich vanilla, amber, gourmand, or resinous winter fragrances may find it too fresh and floral.
Best seasons: Spring and fall
Also good: Mild summer days
Winter: Suitable for daytime and indoor wear
Is Blue Grass better for daytime or nighttime?
Blue Grass is best suited for daytime wear.
Its floral, green, aromatic, and powdery personality feels natural during mornings and afternoons. It works particularly well for lunches, professional settings, daytime gatherings, garden events, shopping, and casual occasions.
The fragrance can certainly be worn at night, especially by someone who considers Blue Grass a signature scent, but it does not have the dense sweetness or dark warmth typically associated with modern evening perfumes.
Best overall: Daytime
Evening: Best for dinners, cultural events, family gatherings, and more traditional occasions
Blue Grass is less about seduction and more about refinement, character, and classic femininity.
What occasions should Blue Grass be worn for?
Blue Grass works especially well for situations where you want fragrance to feel polished, floral, and traditional.
Good occasions include work, brunch, lunch, garden parties, family gatherings, professional events, religious services, spring celebrations, afternoon events, travel, shopping, daytime weddings, cultural events, casual dinners, and everyday wear.
It can also become a highly recognizable signature fragrance for someone who enjoys classic perfumery.
Blue Grass pairs naturally with tailored clothing, floral dresses, polished casual outfits, classic jewelry, linen, spring fabrics, and understated professional attire.
It does not require a formal setting, but its traditional personality can make ordinary daytime wear feel more polished.
What age range is Blue Grass best suited for?
Blue Grass has no required age range, but it is most likely to appeal to fragrance lovers who appreciate classic perfumery.
Its aldehydes, lavender, carnation, narcissus, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin, and tonka bean create a profile very different from many modern fragrances built around vanilla, berries, caramel, marshmallow, and sweet fruit.
Women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond may appreciate its familiar traditional structure and heritage.
Younger fragrance enthusiasts who enjoy vintage perfumes, aldehydic fragrances, aromatic florals, or perfume history may find Blue Grass equally interesting.
Age matters far less than taste.
Someone in her 20s who loves vintage floral fragrances may enjoy Blue Grass considerably more than someone in her 60s who only wears modern gourmands.
Is Blue Grass office appropriate?
Yes. Blue Grass can be office appropriate when applied carefully.
Its floral green personality feels polished and professional, while moderate longevity makes it practical for the workday.
Because aldehydes, lavender, carnation, jasmine, tuberose, and rose can project noticeably, one or two sprays may be enough in enclosed offices.
Blue Grass works particularly well in professional settings for someone who wants a fragrance that feels traditional and composed rather than sweet or seductive.
Is it good for dates? Yes, but it is better suited to certain types of dates. Blue Grass works particularly well for lunch, museums, theater, garden settings, cultural events, daytime dates, or an elegant dinner. It smells refined and distinctive rather than overtly sensual. Someone wanting a warmer romantic nighttime fragrance may prefer something richer.
Is it a safe blind buy? Not for everyone. Blue Grass is a safe blind buy primarily for people who already know they enjoy vintage floral perfumes, aldehydes, lavender, carnation, powdery fragrances, and traditional fragrance structures. Someone accustomed exclusively to modern fruity florals, gourmands, aquatic perfumes, or soft skin scents should sample it first.
What fragrances smell similar to Blue Grass?
Blue Grass has a distinctive combination of aldehydes, florals, lavender, spice, woods, and musk, but several fragrances in the South Beach Perfumes catalog explore related classic perfume territory.
White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor
White Diamonds is one of the strongest comparisons for someone who enjoys Blue Grass.
Both fragrances feature aldehydes, lily, neroli, bergamot, tuberose, jasmine, narcissus, carnation, rose, sandalwood, and musk within unmistakably classic floral compositions.
The difference is personality.
White Diamonds is richer, more glamorous, and more dramatic. Its tuberose, ylang ylang, Turkish rose, amber, oakmoss, patchouli, and cinnamon create a fuller evening character.
Blue Grass feels greener, more aromatic, more herbal, and slightly fresher because of lavender, geranium, vetiver, bay leaf, and its countryside inspired identity.
Choose White Diamonds if you enjoy Blue Grass but want greater floral glamour and evening presence.
Oscar by Oscar de la Renta
Oscar by Oscar de la Renta is another excellent choice for someone who appreciates Blue Grass's classic floral and spicy character.
Oscar features cloves, orange blossom, bergamot, jasmine, tuberose, ylang ylang, rose, lavender, sandalwood, amber, vetiver, and musk.
Both fragrances combine lavender, traditional florals, spice, sandalwood, vetiver, and musk.
Oscar is warmer, richer, and more opulent because of coriander, gardenia, peach, opoponax, patchouli, myrrh, and amber.
Blue Grass feels greener, more aromatic, more aldehydic, and more suited to daytime.
Choose Oscar if you enjoy Blue Grass but want something richer for dinners, formal events, and cooler weather.
Red Door by Elizabeth Arden
Red Door provides an excellent Elizabeth Arden comparison for someone who wants to explore another classic floral perfume from the house.
Both fragrances include rose, orange blossom, carnation, tuberose, jasmine, lily, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar, and musk.
Their personalities are very different.
Blue Grass is fresher, greener, more aromatic, and more herbal through lavender, geranium, bergamot, aldehydes, and bay leaf.
Red Door is richer, sweeter, and more dramatic through plum, peach, honey, orchid, amber, benzoin, and its dense floral bouquet.
Choose Red Door if you appreciate Blue Grass's classic identity but want a fragrance with significantly greater warmth, sweetness, and evening presence.
What is the difference between available Blue Grass concentrations?
The classic Blue Grass fragrance is currently offered by Elizabeth Arden as an Eau de Parfum.
South Beach Perfumes also carries Blue Grass as an Eau de Parfum spray.
Different bottle sizes of the Eau de Parfum contain the same fragrance concentration. A larger bottle does not produce a stronger scent. It simply contains more fragrance.
Over Blue Grass's long history, different presentations and related body products have existed, so vintage bottles may not always look identical to current versions.
The current Eau de Parfum remains the most important version for shoppers seeking the classic Blue Grass fragrance today.
It is also worth remembering that reformulation can occur with fragrances that have remained in production for many decades. A modern bottle should therefore not be expected to smell completely identical to a bottle produced generations ago.
Learn more about fragrance concentrations
Is Blue Grass discontinued?
No. Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden is not discontinued.
Elizabeth Arden continues to sell Blue Grass Eau de Parfum directly and maintains a dedicated Blue Grass fragrance collection.
This is especially noteworthy considering the fragrance's age. Blue Grass has remained part of the Elizabeth Arden heritage for generations and continues to be commercially available.
The brand currently describes Blue Grass as a fresh feminine floral bouquet with spicy woody undertones.
Packaging and formula details have naturally evolved throughout the fragrance's exceptionally long history, so vintage bottles may differ from current production.
Those changes do not mean the fragrance itself has been discontinued.
When was Blue Grass released?
Elizabeth Arden identifies Blue Grass as having been introduced in 1934, making it the first perfume in the Elizabeth Arden fragrance portfolio.
Some fragrance databases and retail references list 1936 as the release year, which has created occasional confusion around the fragrance's history.
For historical accuracy, Elizabeth Arden's own current brand history provides the strongest reference and dates Blue Grass to 1934.
The fragrance was inspired by the fields associated with Elizabeth Arden's passion for Thoroughbred horses.
That countryside inspiration helps explain the perfume's combination of flowers, greenery, lavender, herbs, and woods.
Blue Grass is therefore not simply one of Elizabeth Arden's oldest fragrances. It is the fragrance that began the brand's perfume story.
Who created Blue Grass?
Blue Grass is historically credited to perfumer Georges Fuchs.
Fuchs created the fragrance during an era when aldehydic florals and increasingly sophisticated perfume structures were transforming women's fragrance.
Blue Grass was unusual because it combined distinctly feminine florals with lavender and aromatic elements commonly associated with traditional fougère structures.
Aldehydes provide brightness, while lavender, geranium, and herbs add an aromatic character. Rose, jasmine, carnation, tuberose, narcissus, and other flowers create femininity before sandalwood, musk, benzoin, tonka bean, vetiver, and woods provide the foundation.
The combination helped give Blue Grass a personality that remains recognizable decades later.
How many sprays of Blue Grass should be used?
Blue Grass has enough aromatic and floral presence that excessive application is usually unnecessary.
Office or professional setting: 1 to 2 sprays
Everyday daytime wear: 2 to 4 sprays
Outdoor spring or fall wear: 3 to 5 sprays
Evening wear: 3 to 4 sprays
Good application points include the sides of the neck, upper chest, wrists, and behind the ears.
Elizabeth Arden recommends applying fragrance to pulse points, where body warmth can help release the scent gradually.
Because aldehydes, lavender, jasmine, carnation, and tuberose can feel particularly noticeable immediately after application, give Blue Grass time to settle before deciding whether another spray is needed.
Is Blue Grass authentic?
Yes. South Beach Perfumes guarantees that the designer fragrances it sells are 100% authentic, original brand name products.
Blue Grass purchased from South Beach Perfumes is an authentic Elizabeth Arden fragrance rather than an imitation, replica, or fragrance inspired by the original.
This is especially important with a perfume that has existed for generations.
Bottle designs, boxes, labels, manufacturing information, ingredients, and distribution markets may change throughout a fragrance's lifetime. Older packaging may therefore look different from newer inventory without indicating that one version is counterfeit.
South Beach Perfumes sources original designer fragrances through established fragrance distribution channels.
Learn more about our product guarantee policy
Who should buy Blue Grass?
Blue Grass is particularly well suited for women who enjoy:
Classic perfumes
Vintage fragrances
Floral green fragrances
Aldehydic perfumes
Lavender
Rose
Jasmine
Carnation
Tuberose
Narcissus
Orange blossom
Powdery fragrances
Aromatic perfumes
Sandalwood
Vetiver
Musk
Soft spicy fragrances
Fragrances with perfume history
It is especially appealing for someone who wants a scent with identity.
Blue Grass does not attempt to imitate contemporary bestsellers or modern gourmand trends. Its structure represents a very different period of perfumery.
That makes it interesting both as an everyday fragrance and as part of a collection built around historically important designer perfumes.
Who may not like Blue Grass?
Blue Grass may not appeal to someone whose preferences are centered around modern sweet fragrances.
It does not smell like vanilla frosting, marshmallow, caramel, praline, candy, or tropical fruit.
Someone who dislikes aldehydes may find the opening too bright or traditional.
Lavender, geranium, carnation, clove, and bay leaf can also give the fragrance an aromatic and slightly herbal quality that may surprise people expecting a simple floral perfume.
The powdery character may feel vintage to someone accustomed to transparent musks and minimalist skin scents.
Likewise, people who want enormous sweetness or a dark seductive evening fragrance may find Blue Grass too restrained.
Blue Grass makes the most sense for someone who appreciates heritage perfumery and understands that classic does not mean contemporary.
Final South Beach Perfumes Expert Review
Few designer fragrances still available today can claim a history comparable to Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden.
Introduced in 1934, it connects modern fragrance wearers with a period when perfume was constructed very differently. Instead of relying on intense vanilla, sugary fruit, or gourmand ingredients, Blue Grass builds its identity through flowers, aromatic herbs, aldehydes, spices, woods, and musk.
The opening is immediately distinctive.
Aldehydes create brightness while lavender and geranium provide an aromatic freshness. Bergamot, neroli, orange blossom, and lily keep the introduction floral and feminine without eliminating the fragrance's herbal edge.
The heart reveals the classic perfume structure more clearly. Jasmine, rose, carnation, tuberose, and narcissus create a substantial floral bouquet while clove and bay leaf provide restrained spice.
The dry down is particularly important because sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin, cedar, musk, and tonka bean give Blue Grass enough warmth to balance its green opening.
The fragrance's greatest strength is its individuality.
Blue Grass does not smell like a contemporary designer launch, and that is precisely why it deserves attention. Fragrance collections become more interesting when every bottle does not follow the same sweet vanilla or fruity floral formula.
Its greatest limitation is accessibility. Someone new to perfume who has only experienced modern fragrance trends may initially find Blue Grass unusually powdery, aldehydic, or aromatic.
For the right wearer, those qualities are exactly what make it special.
Blue Grass is especially well suited for spring, fall, daytime wear, professional settings, garden events, cultural occasions, and women who appreciate perfume history.
It is also worth experiencing simply because it represents the beginning of Elizabeth Arden's fragrance heritage.
South Beach Perfumes Expert Verdict: A historically important floral green fragrance combining sparkling aldehydes, aromatic lavender, rose, jasmine, carnation, tuberose, narcissus, gentle spice, sandalwood, vetiver, benzoin, cedar, musk, and tonka bean. Blue Grass is best for fragrance lovers who appreciate vintage perfumery, distinctive floral compositions, and scents with genuine heritage rather than modern sweetness.
Still deciding which fragrance style best represents you? Explore our Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Signature Scent.
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